São Toméan Cuisine

São Toméan cuisine is fresh, wholesome tropical island food, blending Portuguese and African influences with the abundance of the equatorial land and sea. Fresh fish and seafood, straight from the surrounding Atlantic, are the mainstay, grilled or in stews. The national dish is calulu, a rich stew of fish or meat slow-cooked with an array of leafy greens, okra, palm oil and herbs, served with a cornmeal or breadfruit accompaniment. Tropical fruit, breadfruit, banana and root vegetables are abundant, spiced with local herbs and chilli. Above all, the islands produce some of the world's finest cocoa, and their artisan chocolate is a delicious point of pride.

What you actually see

• Calulu - the rich national stew of fish and leafy greens.
• The fresh seafood - the grilled fish and seafood of the Atlantic.
• The tropical produce - the breadfruit, banana and root vegetables.
• The chocolate - the world-class cocoa and artisan chocolate.

When to go

Year-round; local markets and simple eateries serve fresh fish and island dishes, and the freshest seafood is a highlight of this ocean nation. Several of the old cocoa estates now produce and sell artisan chocolate, and visiting a roça to taste chocolate made from the islands' celebrated cocoa is a delicious experience unique to São Tomé and Príncipe.

Honest expectations

São Toméan food is simple, fresh tropical island cooking centred on fish, greens, breadfruit and tropical produce rather than a varied or refined restaurant cuisine, so its appeal is freshness, the hearty calulu and superb seafood rather than culinary complexity, and dining options are limited on these remote islands. The genuine star, though, is the world-class cocoa and chocolate, and tasting it at its source, along with fresh island seafood, is a real and memorable pleasure.

Nearby

The capital's market, the eateries and the cocoa roças are the places to eat.